Aerial ski lift chair



June 14, 1955 T, R, SOWDER AERIAL SKI LIFT CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1954 FIG-2 INVENTOR. Tony R. Sowder BY June 14, 1955 T. R. SOWDER ,5

AERIAL SKI LIFT CHAIR Filed March 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff Hi AW; l

IN V EN TOR.

Tony R. Sowder BY United States 2,710,650 Patented June 14, 1955 due AERIAL SKI LIFT CHAIR Tony R. Sowder, Spokane, Wash, assignor to Riblet Tramway Company, Spokane, Wasl1., a corporation of Washington Application March 19, 1954, Serial No. 417,327 8 Claims. or. 155-189 This invention relates to aerial ski chair lifts and in particular to improvements in the chairs for such lifts.

It is common practice to employ on aerial ski lifts chairs which are provided with footrests. The footrests are either fixed in position or they are movable out of operating position for the loading and unloading of passengers and into operating position for supporting the skis of passengers.

When the foot rest is of the fixed ppsition type, it is difficult for the passengers to mount the chairs and always presents a possibility of the expectant passenger being struck thereby. They also provide difficulty in alighting from the chairs, making it awkward to remove the skis from the footrests in preparation of dismounting the chair.

In the well known movable footrest type, conventionally it requires an attendant to position the footrest either before the passenger mounts the chair or after his having alighted therefrom or both and also the footrests are provided with means for supporting the skis which interfere with free movement of the passenger when mounting or alighting from the chair. It is also conventional to provide a hand rail or similar mechanism which may be grasped by the passenger of a chair, the purpose of which is to confine the passenger against accidental displacement from the chair and in some cases to permit the passenger to operate the footrest.

In every structure of which I am aware, this hand rail is pivotmly secured to the chair and is either movable in a horizontal plane away from the passenger and forwardly of the chair or it swings in an arc upwardly about an axis extending laterally of the chair. Unexpected irregular movements of the ski lift cause the passengers to be thrown forwardly at times and pressure upon these hand rails causes them to open, thus ejecting the passenger. In some instances, when passing over depressions in the earths surface, the passengers have been seriously injured because of falls from relatively great heights.

Therefore, one object of the invention lies in the provision of a ski lift chair which has a hand rail designed to preclude accidental displacement of passengers from the chairs.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a ski lift which has a retractable foot rest.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a ski lift chair having a retractable foot rest and a vertically tiltable hand rail operably connected together so that when the hand rail is moved from its confining position, the foot rest is moved to an inoperative position.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a ski lift chair in which the foot rest is normally held out of the way for loading and discharging passengers but which can be brought by the passenger into either the operative or inoperative position.

According to the present invention, I have provided in an aerial ski lift, a lift chair having a dependent longitudinally swingable foot rest and means operable by the passenger riding in the chair to move the footrest from an operative ski supporting position to an inoperative position where it is disposed substantially to the rear of the chair seat. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description and drawing wherein a preferred form of the invention is disclosed. It should be understood however that the drawing and description are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention except insofar as it is limited by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ski lift chair embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the chair shown in Figure Figure 3 is a front elevation of the ski lift chair;

Figure 4 is a skeletal perspective view showing the lower end of the footrest shank; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a footrest connection.

The essential features of the invention can be understood by reference to the drawings in which the numeral 10 designates the improved ski lift chair having a dual passenger occupancy chair supported intermediate its length by means of a hanger element 11 which is welded or otherwise secured to the chair 10 and extends upwardly to a point Where it is secured to cable ways (not shown) of an aerial ski lift. As indicated, the chair is provided with a seat 12, preferably formed of slats, and a backrest portion 13 and is constructed and arranged to receive and support two passengers.

The hanger 11 is rearwardly braced by means of a rod 14 and forwardly by means of a fiat bar bracket 15 constituting an element of the chair.

A pair of hand rails or arms 16 are journaled on the bracket 15 on spaced parallel horizontal axes extending forwardly of the chair and which secure the arms 16 for vertical tilting movement transversely of the seat from a horizontal position spaced substantially above the front edge of the seat to an upright position at the edge of the seat and adjacent to the hanger 11. A spring clip 17 is secured to the hanger 11 and is adapted to yieldably secure the arms 16 in their vertical positions.

Pivotally connected to the arms 16 at points removed from the journals 16' I provide depending links 18 which are adjustable in length and have their lower ends each pivotally connected to a toggle joint 19 having its forward end pivotally connected to a pendulous footrest 20 and its rearward end pivotally connected at a fixed location relative to the chair 10. It will thus be seen that as the arm 16 is tilted upwardly from its horizontal position the link 18 is drawn upwardly thus breaking the toggle joint 19 and moving the footrest 20 from its forwardly extending operative position shown in full line of Figure 4 to its inoperative position shown in dotted lines of Figure 4.

In Figures 1, 2, and 3, the arm 16 and footrest 20 for the left side of the chair 10 are shown to be in the inoperative position while those of the right side of the chair are shown to be in the operative position.

Each footrest 20 is provided with an inverted L-shaped leg 21 having its base portion 22 extending horizontally through one sleeve 23 carried by the chair 10 at the front edge of the seat 12 and thereunder and hingedly connecting the footrest 2G to the chair It) for forward and rearward swinging movement of the shank 24 about the axis of its base 22. The forward end of each toggle joint 19 is pivotally secured to the shank 24 of the footrest 21 at a point removed from the axis of the base 22 and therefore as the arm 16 is tilted upwardly the toggle joint 19 is broken and the footrest 20 is caused to swing rearwardly to an inoperative position.

At its lower end the tubular shank 24 is provided with a semicylindrical extension 25 which cooperates with an extension 27 formed on a sleeve 28 and comprising approximately 90 of a cylinder. The extensions 25 and 27 are positioned in the recesses defined by the extension of the opposed element and are pivotally united by means of a journal pin 29 having an enlarged head 30 and adapted to extend through the sleeve 28 and be secured by means of a rivet or bolt 29 extending through the aligned apertures 31 and 32 in the pin 29 and shank 24 respectively. It will thus be seen that the sleeve 23 is mounted for rotation about 90 of a circle coaxially with the shank 24.

A ski support bar 33 formed of a substantially U-shaped element is welded to the sleeve 28 to extend radially therefrom and provides a bar upon which the skis of a passenger may be placed while riding in the chair It). To protect the skis I cover the bars 33 with a tubular rubber sheath 34. The extensions 25 and 27 cooperate to position the ski support bars 33 in a hori zontal position spaced from and parallel to the base portion 22 of the leg 21 when the footrest is disposed in its operative position and from this position each ski support bar 33 is permitted rotation about the axis of the shank 24 forwardly to a position parallel with the plane of movement of the chair in the ski lift. This movement is of no consequence under operative condi tions, but when it is desired to dismount from the chair the arm 16 is raised whereby the footrest 20 is moved to the inoperative position and by gravity the ski support bar 33 is moved to the plane parallel with the movement of the chair 10. It will thus be seen that the ski support bar 33 drops away from under the skis worn by the passenger of the chair and pivots forwardly and downwardly to prevent interference with the skis of the passenger mounting or alighting from the chair.

Having thus described my invention. I claim:

1. In an aerial ski lift, a chair having means for suspending the chair from aerial cable ways, said chair including a seat; an arm journaled on an element fixed relative to the chair and vertically tiltable from a horizontal position spaced above substantially tne front edge of the seat transversely thereof to an upright position in a plane at the side of the seat; a footrest hingedly carried by the chair and tiltable forwardly and rearwardly thereunder to operative and inoperative positions respectively; and a link operably interconnecting said arm and foot rest for imparting rearwardly tilting movement to said foot rest from upwardly tilting movement of said arm.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the footrest includes a ski suport bar on its free end disposed laterally of the seat when the footrest is in its operative position and movable about the axis of the footrest shank to substantially a vertical plane when the footrest is in the inoperative position.

3. In an aerial ski lift, a chair having means for suspending the chair from aerial cable ways, said chair including a seat; an arm journaled on an element fixed relative to the chair and tiltable transversely of the seat from a horizontal position spaced above substantially the front edge of the seat to an upright position at the side thereof; a foot rest depending from the seat and hinged for longitudinal swinging movement laterally of the movement of said arm from a forward operative position to a rearward inoperative position; a toggle joint pivotally secured at one end at a fixed point relative to said chair and at the other end to said foot rest at a point removed from its hinge connection; and a link pivoted at one end to said arm removed from its journal and at the opposed end to said toggle for actuating said toggle by said arm to swing said footrest.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said link is adjustable in length to cause said toggle joint to look when the footrest is disposed in its operative position whereby pressure upon said footrest will not break said toggle joint.

5. In an aerial ski lift, a chair having means for suspending the chair from aerial cable ways, said chair ineluding a seat; an arm journaled on an element fixed relative to the chair and tiltable transversely of the seat from a horizontal position spaced above substantially the front edge of the seat to an upright position at the side thereof; means yieldably securing said arm in the upright position; a footrest depending from the seat and hinged for longitudinal swinging movement laterally of the movement of said arm from a forward operative position to a rearward inoperative position; a link operably interconnecting said arm and footrest for imparting rearward swinging movement to said foot rest from upwardly tilting movement of said arm; and said foot rest including a pivotally supported ski support bar disposed transverseiy of the seat in the operative position and movable to depend in substantially a vertical plane when the said footrest is in the inoperative position.

6. in an aerial ski lift, a chair having means for suspending the chair from aerial cable ways, said chair including a seat; an arm journaled on an element fixed relative to the chair and tiltable transversely of the seat from a horizontal position spaced above substantially the front edge of the seat to an upright position at the side thereof; a footrest depending from the seat and hinged for longitudinal swinging movement laterally of the movement of said arm from a forward operative position to a rearward inoperative position and comprising in combination an inverted L-shaped leg having a base forming a part of said hinge and a shank tiltable about the axis of said base; a ski support bar pivotally carried by and movable about the axis of said shank and ski support bar having cooperating pivot limiting means for disposing the ski support bar in spaced parallel relation to the axis of said base portion when the footrest is disposed forwardly in its operative position; said ski support bar being movable to a position depending from the shank in substantially a vertical plane when the footrest is disposed in the inoperative position; a toggle joint pivotally secured at one end at a fixed point relative to said chair and at the other end to said footrest at a point removed from its hinge connection; and a link pivoted at one end to said arm removed from its journal and at the opposed end to said toggle for actuating said toggle by said arm to swing said footrest.

7. In an aerial ski lift chair having a footrest secured thereto by means of a hinge mechanism and movable from an operative position wherein it extends forwardly and downwardly from said chair to an inoperative position wherein it extends rcarwardly and downwardly from said chair; said footrest comprising in combination an inverted L-shaped leg having a base portion and a shank;

i said base portion forming a portion of said hinging mechanism and supporting said shank for swinging movement about the axis of said base portion forwardly and rearwardly of said chair; a ski support bar having a sleeve disposed at substantially right angles thereto and pivotally united coaxial with said shank; pivot limiting means for supporting said ski support bar transversely of said chair when said footrest is in the operative position; and a movable arm carried by an element fixed relative to the chair and operably interconnected with said footrest for moving said footrest to operative and inoperative positions by manually shifting said arm.

8. in an aerial ski lift, a chair adapted for dual occupancy and having means for suspending the chair from aerial cable ways, said chair including a pair of seats; arms journaled on an element fixed relative to the chair and vertically tiltable from horizontal positions spaced above substantially the front edge of each seat transversely thereof to upright positions in vertical planes at the sides of the respecitve seats; independent foot rests for each seat hingedly carried by the chair and tiltable forwardly and rearwardly thereunder to operative and 5 inoperative positions; and links operably interconnecting the arm and footrest coincident to each seat for imparting rearwardly tilting movement to each footrest from upwardly tilting movement of its arm independently of the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,534,270 Koken Apr. 21, 1925 6 McGowen Jan. 23, 1934 Eyerly July 11, 1939 Curran et al. June 3, 1941 Lloyd July 27, 1943 Everest et a1 Aug. 29, 1950 Everest et a1. Apr. 1, 1952 Eyerly Apr. 15, 1952 Mcllvaine Dec. 15, 1953 Singer Feb. 9, 1954 

